Chicago Cork Club

Wine Tasting Basics

100

Full bodied wine is similar to ___ milk

Whole

200

Give an example of a primary aroma/flavor

floral, fruit, spice, minerality

300

What is the first step in tasting wine?

Looking at/describing the appearance

400

What do tannins in wine come from?

Grape skins, stems, and seeds

500

What are the 3 colors that can be used to describe white wine?

Lemon, gold, amber

Wine Regions

100

Name one region and its classification system

France - AOP/AOC

Spain - DO/DOP/DOC

Italy - DOC/DOCG

USA - AVA

200

What region is known for it's Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blends?

Rhone, France (Cotes du Rhone)

300

What region has French and German influence and is known for dry Rieslings?

Alsace, France

400

Which region is known for an unoaked style of Chardonnay?

Chablis, France

500

What does Classico refer to?

An historic wine zone within a region (ex. Chianti Classico)

Winemaking

100

What does vintage mean?

The year that the grapes were grown and harvested.

200

What is the difference between new oak and neutral oak?

New oak imparts oak flavors to the wine, after 1 or 2 years of use it loses it’s flavors and does not impart oak flavors onto wine

300

What does "sur lees" mean?

"On the lees" lees are the dead yeast cells leftover after fermentation

400

What is terroir?

How a region's climate, soils, and terrain affect taste

500

What is fining?

A winemaking process where an adsorbent substance is stirred into the wine in the barrel/tank to adhere to undesirable molecules. It removes the cloudiness and some of the excess tannin.

Grape Varietals

100

What varietal(s) is in a Red Burgundy?

Pinot Noir

200

What is Syrah called in Australia?

Shiraz

300

Name 4 of the varietals that can be found in Bordeaux/Bordeaux-style wines

Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot

400

What 3 varietals are allowed in Champagne?

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier

500

Which varietals are the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon?

Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc

WSET Questions

100

Which of the following is not a sparkling wine:

A. Prosecco

B. Champagne

C. Chablis

D. Cava

 

C. Chablis

200

Which of the following two countries produce New World wines? 

A. Italy and Spain

B. France and the USA

C. New Zealand and France

D. New Zealand and Australia

D. New Zealand and Australia

300

Which of the following is a red wine with low tannins: 

A. Port

B. Cabernet Sauvignon

C. Beaujolais

D. Rioja

C. Beaujolais

400

Most still wines are within which alcohol range? 

A. 8% - 12% 

B. 11.5% - 14% 

C. 14.5% - 18%

D. 15% - 22%

B. 11.5%-14%

500

Chardonnay from a warm climate will typically show flavours of: 

A. Apple and Lemon 

B. Grapefruit and Asparagus 

C. Lime and Apricot 

D. Peach and Pineapple

D. Peach and Pineapple